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Ali’s Former Olympic Coach Dies At 90 In Gilroy

Julius Menendez coached San Jose State to three NCAA Boxing Championships and 295 men's soccer victories. (Photo Courtesy: San Jose State Athletics)

SAN JOSE (CBS/AP) — Julius Menendez, who coached Muhammad Ali to the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics, has died. He was 90.

San Jose State University said Menendez died April 14 in Gilroy, two days before his 91st birthday.

Menendez was the head boxing coach for the United States in the 1960 Olympics in Rome when Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, won the light heavyweight division. Eddie Crook Jr. and Wilbert McClure also won gold medals for the U.S. that year.

Menendez also coached the U.S. men’s soccer team in the 1976 Olympics and was the assistant for the 1972 soccer team.

Menendez also won three U.S. college championships as coach at San Jose State and won 295 games in 36 seasons as the Spartans’ soccer coach.

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